U.K. Private Schools Mull Suit Over ‘Benefit Test’

The organization representing British private schools is considering legal action over efforts by the country’s charity regulator to require them to take on more low-income students, The Guardian reports.

At issue is the Charity Commission’s interpretation of a 2006 law requiring charities to pass a “public benefit test” to retain tax-exempt status. The agency last month told two private schools they risked losing their charity designation if they did not offer more free admissions to poor students.

Officials of the Independent Schools Council said a decision on legal action could hinge on the outcome of those two cases.

See an article from the Chronicle’s archive about Britain’s charity rules.

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